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review by Dene Bebbington Experimental psychologist and musician Robert Jansen offers us more of his minimalist psychoactive ambient music in his newest album Music of Mars. Sporting a sword and sorcery style image on the cover the album is a romantic vision of the red planet and what may have once lived there. Saying that, it's similar to his previous albums insofar as much of the music doesn't sound like it has an obvious theme, and hence the listener may easily come away with his/her own interpretation. Seven tracks of between four and seven minutes comprise this modest length album. Imagine a planetary Rover bouncing down onto the Martian surface in the first track "Bouncedown", this begins with resonating booms that yield to curious voicelike snatches of sound which could be from ancient spirits that have been disturbed. Further in a gently throbbing sequence like the sound of semi-distant drums is heard while glittery and ghostly synth washes flow across the soundscape. Anyone who has heard any of R.D.Jansen's other albums will immediately recognise his style, especially the washes of sound that are the aural equivalent of a sprinkling of shiny glitter. This album also has his occasional excursion into rhythmic territory, as on the track "Marsdream4" where a mild synthetic drum rhythm plays out over reverbing synth lines. My favourite track at this point is probably "Where Earth is the Morning Star". Hear the bright and thoughtful washes of sound delicately dance and consider how the bright blue star of Earth may have fascinated creatures on Mars as that planet does us. As with Robert's other music, Music of Mars can take a little getting used to. It sometimes seems to me as though a melody is being reached for but never quite grasped, this gives the music a singular quality that is interesting if a little unsatisfying in places. Maybe this is an artifact of the psychoactive intent of his music. |
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